Questions on mollies, silver dollars.

**Determination** · 10-02-2011, 03:09 AM

Okay anyone ever keep a 55g? Would you recommend 6-7 silver dollar red hooks be okay in that size of a tank?

As for mollies. I like the ballooon mollies. I know alot of people don't like em but I actually do and I was wondering how long they lived?

**Dave66** · 10-02-2011, 03:30 AM

Live bearers like mollies don't live past two years or so. Live bearers live short, active lives.

Red Hook Mets, on the other hand, reach about four inches so a school of six or better seven of them would be a nice display in your 55. Add them three at time with a week or better 10 days between additions, to prevent a mini-cycle, which can easily happen when the whole school is added at once.

Dave

**Pamela2Heaven** · 10-02-2011, 03:49 AM

I have 2 Balloon Belly Mollies (Lucy & Ricardo) and they are my fav of all my fish.

**Determination** · 10-02-2011, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dave66

Live bearers like mollies don't live past two years or so. Live bearers live short, active lives.

Red Hook Mets, on the other hand, reach about four inches so a school of six or better seven of them would be a nice display in your 55. Add them three at time with a week or better 10 days between additions, to prevent a mini-cycle, which can easily happen when the whole school is added at once.

Dave

Whats a red hook mets? o.O i thought it was red hook silver dollar? By the way how many silver dollars can I have in a 55g?

**Dave66** · 10-02-2011, 07:26 PM

Red Hook Mets is what they used to be called, since the long anal fin was shaped rather like hook, and in better specimens, is red, and the red can span up into the lower body as well. The genus is Metynnis, hence the name Mets.

Been keeping aquariums since 1972, so Red Hook Mets is what I've always called them.

As long as you stock slowly, you could have seven or eight of them in your 55. Keep in mind they are vegetarians, like all the silver dollar species, so Spirolina flakes or better pellets should be their staple menu.

They also like leafy vegetables like Spinach. Clip a couple clean leaves of spinach to an objects in the tank with a rubber bands in the evenings. It takes a lot of vegetative food to keep Herbivores like silver dollars going long term. Your Red Hooks, properly fed and kept, can live for more than a decade.

Dave

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-02-2011, 07:43 PM

I love Silver Dollars! They are very nice fish and not a bit aggressive. Keep in mind they will eat plants so don't bother trying to plant the tank with live plants. I had 5 in my 55 gallon and they'd line up all in a row and stare at me across the room. I had mine with an assortment of tetra's. I wasn't able to get the Red Hooks where I live so had to settle for the plain jane Dollars but liked them a lot just the same.
A whole tank of Dollars would be awesome, IMO.

**smaug** · 10-02-2011, 08:24 PM

I have 4 sd with 6 parrotfish and a bushfish in a 55 gallon. Mine are std sd and are 4 inches across the body ,they are about 3 yrs old and have eaten cichlid pellets there whole life with no veg material ever added other then the past 3 months or so. I suppose the cichlid pellets have what they need. I thought red hooks got pretty big,the shop I deal with has hooks that are at least 6. To 7 inches across. I don't consider the hooks I've seen appropriate for 55 gal tanks at all.

Yeah,I just did some searching for Jenns posts about her red hooks. They get far too big for 55 gal tanks! Back in the day when Dave kept them they must have been smaller,lol.
For the record,my std sd are only a bit over 2 yrs old.

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-02-2011, 08:57 PM

My commons were easily 4", too. I always thought the red hooks grew almost twice that size but wasn't sure so remained mum.

**Determination** · 10-03-2011, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

My commons were easily 4", too. I always thought the red hooks grew almost twice that size but wasn't sure so remained mum.

If I find some red hooks ill buy them though. lol. I'm hoping I can eventually get a 125g so I can get a dang oscar. I love those fish. I'm not sure why but I've always been fond of them. It's not their predatory nature. Nor the colors. They just remind me of a dog. But like an aquatic dog. Weird I know. I wouldn't pet one like people do in youtube. But just the thought of one is fun. I used to work with them too. I'd love to get my hands on one just one would make me really happy. lol.